April 19, 1949. .

'

J, MARTIN

2,467,764

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT

Filed April 9, 1946

7 Sheets-Sheet 1

Inventor
JAMES MART/N

per

Attorney.

April 19, 194.9;

2,467,764
,
J. MARTIN

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

'SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT
7 Sheets-Sheet 2

Filed April 9, 1946

p8)

JAMES MART/N

fg

April 19, 1949-

J. MARTIN

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT

Filed April 9, 1946

2,467,764

7 Sheets-Sheet 3

1/

4Vr14,

Inventor
_

JAMES MART/N

W ?

fg.

AZ army.

April 19, 1949.

-

J MARTIN

2,467,764 '

APPARATUS FOR TETING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN'AIRGRAFT

Filed April 9, 1946

7 Sheets-Sheet 4

Inventor '

JAMES MART/N
W
'
'

AZ orney,

April 19, 1949.

Y

J_ MARTIN

2,467,764

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT

7 Sheets-Sheet 5

Filed April 9, 1946

Inventor
JAMES MART/N
per

1 Attorney.

Aprll 19, 1949.

J. MARTIN

2,467,764

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

.

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT

7 Sheets-Sheet 6

Filed April . 9, 1946

Inventor

JAMES MART/N

per M

Attorney.

April 19, 1949.

J. MARTIN

2,467,764

APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND EJECTION

SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN AIRCRAFT
Filed April 9, 1946
7 Shaets-Sheet_ '7

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2,467,764

Patented Apr. 19, 1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,467,764
APPARATUS FOR TESTING ON THE GROUND
EJECTION SEATS INTENDED FOR USE IN
AIRCRAFT
James Martin, Higher Denham, near Uxbridge,

England
Application April 9, 1946, Serial No. 660,816
In Great Britain February 18, 1946 I
- 5 Claims.

(Cl. 35-10)

The bogie is provided with a hook adapted to

The invention relates to the testing or making

of practical trials in connection with the launch
ing of personnel from aircraft in flight and is
intended to enable pilots or other personnel to
become familiar with the launching apparatus

engage with a shackle on the seat or other device

mounted on the testing rig and this shackle is

interconnected with one or more sprags which

engage with ratchet stops on the guides of the

testing rig so that whilst the weight of the seat
or other device is supported by the shackle, bogie
and winding gear, the sprags will be withdrawn
vention comprises a testing rig adapted to be set
from engagement with the ratchet teeth to en
up on an aerodrome or in a hangar or other suit
able building on which repeated tests or trials 10 able the seat to be lowered along the guides.
If however the hook should become disengaged
may be carried out either for testing the launch
or the winding gear should fail, then the sprags
ing apparatus or for rendering pilots or others
would automatically engage with the ratchet
familiar with the apparatus and its manner of
teeth and will support the seat or other device
use so as to give them con?dence in the effec
tlveness of the apparatus and to enable them to 15 so that it cannot fall or descend precipitately
down the guides thus providing an automatic
take full and quick advantage of the launching
safety
supporting means for the seat or other
apparatus should the need for its use arise when
device.
.
in ?ight in an aircraft ?tted with such ap
A practical embodiment of the invention will
paratus. The invention is particularly intended
now be described with reference to the attached
for use in connection with the launching appa
drawings in which:
ratus described in co-pending patent applica
and its method of use in a simple and safe man
ner on the ground. For this purpose the in

Fig. l is a side elevation of a suitable testing

tion Serial No. 638,762 ?led January 3, 1946.
rig of a type to which the present invention may
This invention comprises improvements in and
be applied.
_
additions to the'testing apparatus described and
claimed in the speci?cation ofco-pending patent 25 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the testing rig
shown in Fig. 1.
_
application Serial No. 606,356 ?led July 21,
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a bogie for slidably
1945, which comprises an apparatus for testing
mounting in the guides of the testing rig shown
on the ground, personnel ejection seats intended
in Figs. 1 and 2 and the shackle on the seat
for use in the launching of personnel from air
30
back
for engagement therewith.
craft, the apparatus comprising upwardly di
Fig. 4 is a part sectional side elevation on the
rected guides, a supporting frame for such guides,
centre line of Fig. 3.
a personnel seat slidably mounted in the guides,
Fig. 4A is a front elevation of the seat shackle.
and a winding gear for lowering the seat; how

ever it is necessary for the occupant of the seat

to manually fasten the winding gear to the seat.

The present invention has for its object to pro
vide means for lowering the seat after each test
and enables this to be done without the need for
any action by thev occupant of the seat and it
further enables tests to be made without any
human occupant in the seat. This invention
also provides for the automatic support of the
seat in the event of failure of the lowering ap
paratus or breakage of the supporting cable,
thus providing an additional means of preventing
an accident and ensuring the safety of those
engaged in making or observing the trials.
According to this invention the testing rig is
provided with a bogie mounted to slide in the
guides on the testing rig and suspended therein
by suitable winding gear-adapted to raise and
lower the bogie which is normally'located near
the top of the guides above the seat or other
device which is impelled upwardly along the
guides. forv testing or demonstration purposes.

Fig. 5 is a part sectional side elevation show

35 ing the sliding seat and the bogie mounted in

the testing rig in the relative positions they will

occupy just before the suspension hook on the
bogie engages with the shackle on the back of

the sliding seat.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the
upper and lower portions of Fig. 5 but showing
the suspension .hook engaged with the seat
shackle.
Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6 but shows
45 the weight of the seat supported by the suspen
sion hook of the bogie and the sprags on the
seat disengaged from the ratchet teeth on the
guides of the testing rig, and

40

Fig. 8 is a cross section through the lower

50 part of the sliding seat and the testing rig guides.

Referring to the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 illus

trate the type of testing rig covered by co-pend
ing patent application Serial No. 606,356 ?led
July 21st, 1945, and to which is applied the em
bodiment of the present invention which is de

2,467,764

scribed hereafter by way of example. As de

scribed in my co-pending application Serial No.
606,356 the testing rig comprises a pair of chan

rig and extends downwardly to winding gear 21

located near the ground level and by which the
bogie 30 may be lowered and raised along the

nel section guides I mounted parallel to each

other and spaced apart a suitable distance by the

guides of the testing rig. The end of the cable

28 is anchored to the bolt 32 in the bracket 33

transverse V-shaped connecting members 2

whose inner face is covered by panels 3 of sheet

of the bogie 30. The bogie 30 which is shown in

greater detail in Figs. 3 and 4 is normally re
metal or other suitable material to form a re
tained near the top of the testing rig guides.
cessed space between them. These parallel
Supported in the bogie is a suspension hook 34
guides I are connected by pin joints 4 to the in 10 which is adapted to engage with a shackle 40
verted channel cross-bar 5 extending across the
on the top of the back of the seat 20, slidably
front corner of the triangular base made of
mounted in the testing rig guides. This suspen
channel steel girders 6. At the junction of each
sion hook 34 is pivoted at 35 to the ?tting 36 se
two girders 6, that is at each corner of the tri
cured in the frame of the bogie 30 and is spring
angular base, is provided an upright boss I in 15 loaded by the enclosed spring 31 to act as a latch
which is adjustably supported a pad 8 the base
for automatic engagement with the seat shackle
of which provides a substantial area to rest on
40. The suspension hook 34 is provided with
the ground. The shank to each pad 8 may be
a cross-bar or ?nger piece 38 for manual manipu
screw threaded into its boss 'I so as to constitute
lation through an opening 39 in the bogie frame.
a means of adjustment for levelling up the base 20
The seat shackle 40 is mounted on the top of
frame 6.

The upper ends of the guides I are

the seat back and is located in an upward ex

supported by a pair of tubular struts 9 pin jointed

to the guides I at I0 and extending downwardly

tension thereon. The shackle 40 is mounted

to provide limited sliding movement between it
and the tubular extension H of the seat back 20

and outwardly to pin joints I I near the rear cor

ners of the triangular frame 6. The triangulated
by means of the shank 42 which is connected to a
structure is stiifened by means of tubular mem
stop collar 43 slidable in the cap 44 on the exten
bers I2 pin jointed to brackets I3 on the guides
sion H. The shackle 42 is interconnected with
I and sleeves I4 on the struts 9. Further in
the spring loaded sprags 23 so that when the
clined tubes I5 and I6 are pin jointed at their
weight of the seat is supported by the suspension
upper ends to the brackets I3 and I4 and at their 80 hook 34 on the bogie 32 and the cable 28 and
lower ends to brackets I! on the base frame
winding gear 21 then the spring loaded sprags 23
channels 6.
will be withdrawn from engagement with the

The present invention is intended for testing

ratchet stops 22 provided along the testing rig

on the ground the launching gear intended for

guides Ia. For this purpose, the lower end of the

use in propelling a pilot and his seat from a high 35 shank 42 of the shackle 40 is connected to the end

speed ?ghter type of aeroplane and the seat and

propelling gear is represented diagrammatically
at 20 in Figs. 1 and 5. Examples of a suitable
launching gear are fully described in the speci
?cation and illustrated in the drawings of co 40

pending patent application Serial No. 638,762

?led January 3, 1946. The guides I are pro
vided with front and rear facing strips Ia which
overhang the inner edges of the guides I to form
channels to receive the rollers 2 I on the seat and
launching gear 20, see Fig. 8. The front facing
strip Ia is provided with a multiplicity of wedge
shaped stops 22 arranged to form a ratchet face
to the two guides I and spring actuated sprags
23 of the seat ride freely over the ratchet stops
22 when the seat is travelling upwardly along the
guides but engage with the ratchet stops 22 to

prevent the seat returning downwardly along the

guides I. The seat will thus be automatically
supported at the highest point to which it is pro
pelled by the launching apparatus. It is to be
understood that in the present testing apparatus
the seat is not actually ejected from the support
ing guides but always remains captive within the
limits of the guides, therefore, the present ap
paratus is merely for testing on the ground a
seat which is intended for later use in an air

of a lever 45 pivoted to the seat back extension 4!

and the outer end of which is connected to the
top of a push rod or tube 45, the lower end of
which is connected to a lever 41 on a cross-tube

or shaft 48 mounted in bearings 48 in the seat

frame 20 and carrying the sprags 23, see Figs.
5, 6, 7 and 8. A portion 50 of the push rod or

tube 46 is telescopic and is spring loaded by the

spring 5i so that the initial relative movement
" of the shackle 40 in its mounting in the tubular
extension M of the seat back 20 merely come

presses the spring 5] in the telescopic portion

50 of the push rod or tube 46 so that when the

seat has been slightly raised by operating the

winding gear, its weight will no longer rest on
the sprags 23 and the energy stored in the spring
5| compressed in the telescopic portion 50 of the
push rod or tube 46, will turn the shaft 48 car
rying the sprags 23 so as to disengage them from

the ratchet teeth 22. The amount of telescopic

movement between the parts of the push rod
or tube 46 is limited by suitable stops. A pair
of levers 52 on the cross-shaft 48 are each con

nected by enclosed springs 53 to brackets 54 on

the seat frame 20 and normally act to keep the

zrzirags 23 in engagement with the ratchet stops

craft. Located above the seat 20 is the bogie 30

In operation the bogie 3D is normally retained
which also slides in the guides Ia, suitable rollers
near the top of the guides of the testing rig.
3i thereon being provided to engage with the
The seat launching gear is brought into operguides for this purpose. The bogie 30 is of ap
ation to impel the seat 20 upwardly along the
proximately rectangular form consisting of a
guides I and when it has reached the top of its
suitable metal casting or pressing or a hollow
upward movement the sprags 23 will engage the
sheet metal structure with guide wheels 3| at 70 ratchet stops 22 and retain the seat 20 against
each side to engage with the guides Ia of the
downward movement. This position is illus
testing rig. The bogie is suspended from the
trated in Fig. 5. The winding gear 21 may now
cable 28 of the winding gear 21 and this cable
be operated from the ground to lower the bogie
28 passes round one or more pulleys supported
30 along the testing rig guides until the suspen
by the cross-bar 26 near the top of the testing
sion hook 34 snaps into engagement with the

2,467,764

shackle 40 on the seat back 20. This disposition

of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 6. The winding

in which said guides are provided with ratchet

stops and said seat is provided with sprags for
engagement with said ratchet stops.

gear 21 is now operated to slightly raise the bogie

4. Apparatus for testing, on the ground, an
30 and with it the seat 20. As soon as the weight
of the seat 20 is lifted from the sprags 23 the Ci ejection seat intended for use in launching per

sonnel from aircraft comprising upwardly di

rected guides, a supporting frame for the upward
ly directed guides, a bogie slidably mounted in
said guides, a seat slidably mounted below said

spring 5| compressed in the telescopic portion of

the push rod or tube 46 Will turn the sprags 23
away from and maintain them disengaged from
the ratchet stops 22 and the bogie 30 and seat
20 may be lowered by operating the winding gear
21 in the required manner. This may all be

_ bogie and within said guides, winding gear for

accomplished without requiring any co-operation

from the person in the seat or in fact without
any person in the seat if desired. The arrange
ment also provides a safeguard against accident I

due to breakage of the cable or faulty operation

of any part of the winding gear. When the
weight of the seat and any occupant is not sup
ported by the shackle 40 and 1cable 28, the spring
5| will extend the tube 46 to its maximum extent
and the springs 5| will not affect the sprags 23
which will be ?rmly urged toward the ratchet

stops 22.
I claim:

lowering and raising the bogie in the guides and

ratchet stops on said guides, sprags on said seat
for engagement with the ratchet stops, a suspen
sion hook on said bogie, a shackle on the seat

for engagement by the suspension hook on the

bogie and automatic-ally releasing means con
necting the shackle with the sprags.
5. A testing apparatus as recited in claim 4 in
which the automatic releasing means between
the shacle and the sprags comprises a spring
loaded telescopic connection between said shackle
and said sprags.
JAMES MARTIN.

1. Apparatus for testing, on the ground, an 25

ejection seat intended for use in launching per

REFERENCES CITED

The following references are of record in the

sonnel from aircraft comprising upwardly di

?le of this patent:
rected guides, a, supporting frame for the upward
1y directed guides, a bogie slidably mounted in said
UNITED STATES PATENTS
guides, a seat slidably mounted below said bogie )0 Number
Name
Date
and within said guides, winding gear for low
290,297
Weymouth ______ __ Dec. 18, 1883
ering and raising the bogie in the guides and
means on the bogie for automatically engaging
and connecting it to said seat.
2. A testing apparatus as recited in claim 1 35
in which the engaging and connecting means

comprises a resiliently mounted suspension hook

659,197
1,321,780
1,615,657

Allen ____________ __ Oct. 2, 1900

Anderson ________ __ Nov. 11, 1919
Schwafel ________ __ Jan. 25, 1927

2,357,293

Strong ____________ Sept. 5, 1944

2,376,886

Smith ___________ __ May 29, 1945

on said bogie and a shackle ?xed to said seat,

said hook engaging said shackle when the body

10 Number
is lowered into contact with said seat.
839,729
3. A testing apparatus as recited in claim 1

FOREIGN PATENTS
Country

Date

France ___________________ -..1939